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This Handmade Jukebox Uses a Card Scanner to Select Tracks

Designer Chris Patty may have won Christmas. This year, his family decided all the gifts they gave each other had to be handmade. He decided to make his dad a fancy jukebox with some classic tunes inside.

This isn’t a jukebox like you’d see in a ’50s diner mind you, it’s more like a wooden cigar box with a computer inside. What makes it truly unique is the way that you select tunes to play on it. He connected a card reader to the Raspberry Pi, and programmed it to choose the song based on magnetic stripe information recorded on each card.

This year my family decided that each of our presents had to be handmade, so this is what I made for my dad. pic.twitter.com/Nc5aIIWVt3

The system limits the listener to the specific songs that Chris has created cards for, but from the looks of it, there are lots of songs to enjoy. Patty has promised a tutorial for people wanting to build their own jukeboxes is coming, and is also working on a Kickstarter for a version you can buy for yourself. You can sign up for more information on the project here.